By dawn Monday, a line of people will be standing outside the State Board of Elections in Springfield, ready to file nominating petitions to get the 2008 political races under way.

“It’s the earliest kickoff for the primary election in Illinois history, since we moved up the primary by six weeks,” said Dan White, executive director of the board.

In a move sold as a way to help the presidential aspirations of U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., and give Illinois a chance to influence the Republican nomination for president as well, the General Assembly this year moved the 2008 primary from mid-March to Feb. 5. In recent presidential election years, national nominees have tended to be picked by the time Illinois primary voters went to the polls.

The earlier primary means that the filing period, which usually begins in December, was moved back accordingly. The dates this year are Oct. 29 through Nov. 5 for candidates for U.S. Senate, U.S. House, and many state Senate and all state House seats.

Some judge candidates will also file for nomination on Monday. At county courthouses, candidates for countywide offices, county board seats and precinct committeemen posts will be able to file nominating petitions as well.

For those who file at the state board, the morning line forms because anyone who files in a contested primary by 8 a.m. the first day is entered into a lottery to achieve top ballot position – which is usually preferred by candidates.

Some candidates just like to be in line early to show their enthusiasm for the job they are seeking.

“Usually on Sunday evening, there’s a couple of people in front of the office already,” White said.

Petitions that arrive in the first mail delivery to the elections board on Monday are also counted as 8 a.m. filers, White said.

“We expect a larger number of candidates this year as opposed to in past years,” White said, in part because it is a presidential year.

Also for the first time, Democratic presidential candidates and people seeking to be delegates or alternates to the Democratic National Convention will file the same time as state candidates.

The Democratic Party chose that schedule. GOP presidential, delegate and alternate candidates will file from Nov. 28-Dec. 5.

In some past years, the doors have opened at the elections board building at 1020 S. Spring St. a couple hours early to let the throng of candidates escape the elements. However, White said the configuration inside the building has been changed this year and doors won’t open until 7:45 a.m.

“The weather’s supposed to be decent on Monday,” he said.

There was no indication as of late last week that any of the presidential candidates themselves would show up at the elections board, White said. Candidates don’t have to file petitions in person, and aides often bring the documents to the building.

Because of the possibility of a visit by a presidential hopeful, however, a half-dozen state troopers will provide security at the building.

Another factor that could increase the number of people at the lineup Monday is that the Green Party is an established party this year, thanks to a strong showing by the party’s gubernatorial candidate last year. White said some Green Party candidates probably will file.

Bernard Schoenburg can be reached at (217) 788-1540 or bernard.schoenburg@sj-r.com.